Love Again
by Reminiscing Moonlight
Summary: When Ichigo discovers her fiance is cheating on her, she leaves him at the altar and vows to never love again. However, a few years later, Ichigo runs into Kish. Will she forget her promise to herself and fall in love once more? IxK
1. Wedding

**Rem: **Yeah, I know we should really update Traveling Fairy first, but... we did indeed start this story before we started TF, so I figured it's about time I finished the first chapter and posted it up xP Hey... now that I read the last sentence of this chapter, I guess it makes it seem like Osaka's some wierdly important place... like, there's some really, really good reason she picked that place instead of something else. Actually, there isn't. It's just, like, the first place that came to mind xD Right, well, I really shouldn't be talking about the end of this chapter before you've even started reading... so... get to it! Start reading! Oh, and, reviews are always nice -wink, wink-

**Suzie: **Hey people! If you're a reader of TF, we WILL update soon! Very soon! Anyway, like Rem said, we started on this story first but we were being kind of lazy -cough- and didn't finish the chapter until now... so... please review?

**Disclamer: **We don't own anything -cries-

* * *

-- CHAPTER ONE --  
_Wedding_

Ichigo Momomiya twirled around in front of a large, full-length mirror. Her white, silk gown fanned out around her as the pink strawberries embroidered on it sparkled in the bright light. Ichigo admired the puffy sleeves that were a pale pink color, while pulling on a pair of white gloves that went up to her elbow.

Lettuce Midorikawa clapped her hands together delightedly. "You look wonderful, Ichigo-san!"

Ichigo smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lettuce." Ichigo then hesitated a bit before adding, "Do—"

Just then, Pudding Fong burst into the room, cutting Ichigo off. "Lettuce-neechan! Zakuro-sama needs your help in the kitchen. She says to hurry, and that it's an emergency."

Lettuce frowned. "Alright, I'll be right there." She then turned back to Ichigo. "What were you saying again?"

Ichigo shook her head and replied, "It's nothing."

Lettuce nodded and left the room with Pudding following her.

Ichigo waited until she could no longer hear her two friends' footsteps anymore before peering out through the white, oak door. Seeing no one, Ichigo slipped out into the dim hallway.

---

Ichigo hummed softly as she slowly made her way down the corridor, peering into any rooms she could.

Suddenly, as she was approaching a certain fancy, mahogany door, Ichigo heard a rustle of clothing and a series of low moans.

Ichigo blushed as she passed the door, trying to give the couple privacy... that is, until her curiosity got the best of her and she tiptoed back to the door.

Ichigo slowly pushed the door open, cringing when it creaked noisily. Luckily, the couple didn't hear her enter. Ichigo peeked into the room and stiffened at what she saw.

There in the room was Masaya Aoyama - her _husband-to-be_, for goodness sakes! - sprawled out onto a couch with a girl on top of him, kissing him passionately. Ichigo began feeling nervous. The girl had blue hair. 'It couldn't be Mint, could it?' Ichigo thought to herself. Just then, Masaya's hand slipped under the girl's shirt and that was when Ichigo caught a glimpse of the girl's face.

Ichigo could only stare in shock. It was Mint Aizawa indeed. Sure, she and Mint hadn't gotten along at first, but they had slowly become the best of friends. Mint was even going to be the Maid of Honor in Ichigo's wedding! Yet... there she was…

Ichigo finally tore her gaze away and slamming the door behind her, running as fast as she could back to her dressing room, tears streaming down her face.

At the same time, inside the room, Masaya and Mint jumped apart startled. They looked at each other, both with a frightened look on their faces. The two were thinking the exact same thing.

_Who had caught them together?_

---

Ichigo ran inside her room and slammed the door behind her. She fell to the floor, crying her heart out. The scene just kept on replaying in her head over and over. 'How could they do this to me?' Ichigo thought, anguished. 'I was going to be married today... I was going to be happy forever...'

Then, Ichigo slowly began thinking that maybe Masaya didn't mean to do it and her mind started creating feeble excuses. With those excuses swirling around in her head, Ichigo slowly got up with a slightly hysterical expression on her face. She walked over to the makeup counter to redo her smeared make-up, and waited for the redness in her eyes to go away.

A half hour later, someone knocked on her door. "Who is it?" Ichigo asked, her voice showing no sign that she was in emotional pain.

"It's me!" her father called out. "It's time."

"I'm coming!" Ichigo yelled as she rushed to the door. With butterflies in her stomach, she slid out the open door. "I'm ready", she whispered softly, hoping it wasn't a lie. Ichigo took her father's hand, her heart betraying the delighted expression on her face.

---

Ichigo trembled, staring at the large door in front of her. She knew perfectly well that Masaya and Mint were both behind that door, and for a second, the idea of fleeing the church dawned on her. Ichigo shook her head slightly, pushing the thought out of her mind.

Ichigo turned her gaze to her father. "Let's do this!" Ichigo burst out energetically.

Her father nodded, smiling back. Together, they pushed the door open and prepared to walk down the long aisle.

---

Ichigo's smile faltered when she saw Masaya standing in front of her, just several strides away. Ichigo gripped her father's arm tightly and started walking forward before she could do anything she didn't want to.

Ichigo's mind was whirling as she neared Masaya. Everything and everyone around her were but a blur. Ichigo could barely register the following events, but finally found herself standing in front of Masaya, looking directly at him.

The priest began speaking.

_We are assembled here on this very special day of your lives to join Masaya Aoyama and Ichigo Momomiya into the bonds and unity of marriage._

_Marriage is a meaningful word; meaningful because it means the end of your search for that special person you looked forward, to complete your life. Marriage also speaks to us about the fulfillment we have found and the love we have given to each other._

_It is our prayer that you have a wonderful marriage and that you have peace and prosperity on the road of life you have chosen to travel together...and may all of your dreams come true. With this in mind..._

The priest turned to Masaya.

_Masaya Aoyama, do you take Ichigo Momomiya to be your lawful wedded wife?_

Masaya beamed at Ichigo. "I do." He replied.

The priest then turned to Ichigo.

_Ichigo Momomiya, do you take Masaya Aoyama to be your lawful wedded husband?_

Ichigo looked at Masaya. He was still smiling brightly. Ichigo clenched her teeth. She knew perfectly well that smile was fake. How could she have ever loved him? How could she have ever thought he was kind? Caring? Loving? It was a lie; all of it was just a big lie.

Masaya began to look uncomfortable as Ichigo's silence drew out. He glanced over Ichigo's shoulder at Mint, who returned his smile with one of her own. Masaya's eyes lit up.

Ichigo noticed all this, and it was the last straw for her.

Ichigo looked up at Masaya. Glaring at him, she clenched her fists together. Ichigo's claws slowly began growing out.

Raising her right hand, Ichigo slapped Masaya, leaving red slash marks over his cheek.

Ichigo took a deep breath. "You dirty _bastard_! How dare you? We were going to be _married_! And yet, you decide to CHEAT on me with my BEST friend! What were you planning to do? _Pretend_ to be in love with me, and then go to Mint's house every night to fuck her? I don't _care_ if you _want_ to do that. It's NOT what I want, and it's NOT what I'm going to take. Guess what? The marriage is OFF. You can go and marry Mint for all I care. Goodbye and I hope I never see you again!"

Looking at Masaya's face one more time, Ichigo picked up her skirts and ran out the church, smiling inwardly at Masaya's shocked face.

Only when Ichigo was a far ways off from the place where she was going to be married did she sink down onto the ground sobbing. What was she going to do now? Where was she going to live? She certainly could NOT stay here where all her so-called friends and so-called family were.

Ichigo stared at the far horizon, her face tear-streaked. Yes. That was the perfect solution. She would give herself a whole new life. A whole new name. A whole new look.

She would go to Osaka.

* * *

**We're sorry it's so short! u.u  
**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie**


	2. Memory

**Suzie:** SORRYYYYYYY! I know this is late but... but... but... we have problems too! I know this excuse is SO OLD, but we are SWAMPED, I TELL YOU, SWAMPED! So because we are extra smart (of course), we have to study more and I absolutly hate it! ANYWAY, you should be grateful that we updated becasue some people dont even do THAT. Also, for those of you reading Travling Fairy, we are updating that... soon... in a month... eventually... but we WILL update. Enjoy what we have so far :) Later.

**Rem: **-stares at Suze- Um. I have no idea what she's saying about being extra smart, but... yes, we are quite busy ourselves and fanfiction really is more of a... secondary thing in our lives >.> We'll TRY to update faster next time, I promise! We're very sorry for this, er, extremely late update... and we are also very sorry our chapters are rather short. Thank you for all your nice comments (reviews) though! They really keep us going with this :D Teh Kish/Ichigo thing will develop over time! Stick with us for a bit longer? Anyway, enjoy the chapter! x)

**Disclamer: **We don't own TTM, unfortunately :O

* * *

-- CHAPTER TWO --  
_Memory_

"Ikumi!"

Ichigo ignored the voice, continuing to sweep the dusty floor with a dreamy, faraway expression on her face.

"IKUMI!"

Ichigo was snapped out of thought."Coming, Tanaka-san!" Ichigo set the broom against the wall and walked out to the front of the noisy restaurant.

A short, mousy-haired woman was standing there, glaring at Ichigo with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Honestly, Ikumi. When I call you, I expect you to come see _why_ I called you."

Ichigo was tempted to roll her eyes, but refrained from doing so. "Yes, Tanaka-san."

Chisato Tanaka nodded. "Good." Chisato continued, "Anyway, not that I think you actually deserve it, but… you get the rest of the day off as it's not too busy around here at the moment."

Ichigo gaped at Chisato for a moment, before slowly inching towards the door. Grabbing her brown jacket, Ichigo ran out the door before Chisato could change her mind. "Thank you!" was all Chisato heard before the door slammed shut.

* * *

Ichigo walked through the empty park, shivering in the cold breeze. 

A few more minutes passed before Ichigo sat down on a lone park bench, worn out.

Maple leaves twirled around in the air before floating, fluttering to the ground.

Staring at the clear, blue sky, memories began flowing back.

/ Flashback /

_Ichigo glanced at the clock on the table._

_Blinking red letters stared back at her. It was 1:47 A.M._

_Ichigo frowned, and paced around nervously._

_Where was Masaya?_

_Finally, the sound of the front door opening was heard._

_Ichigo jumped to her feet and ran into the living room._

_The door flung open; Masaya was standing there._

"_Where have you been?" Ichigo yelled._

_Masaya paused a moment, clearly taken back by Ichigo's outburst. Finally, Masaya answered with a worried expression on his face, "I was at a friend's house. Is something wrong?"_

_Ichigo let out a harsh laugh. "Of course there's something wrong. Did you really go to a friend's house? Or was it, say, a girl's house?" _

_Masaya frowned. "What is wrong with you, Ichigo? I was just at a friend's house!"_

_Ichigo was frustrated. "JUST a friend's house? Every night? I'm not stupid, Masaya, no matter how much you think I am, if you think you can get away with this."_

_Masaya's frown deepened. "You're just way too paranoid, Ichigo!"_

"_Well maybe I wouldn't be if you didn't give me something to be paranoid about all the time!"_

"_You know, it's really tiring when you're clingy like this!"_

"_Well maybe I wouldn't be 'clingy' if you didn't give me a reason to have to be 'clingy', as you call it."_

"_Look, Ichigo. I'm too tired for this right now."_

"_YOU'RE too TIRED for this? I think I know WHY you're tired! And it doesn't have anything to do with 'just friends' activities!"_

"_I can't believe you, Ichigo!"_

_Ichigo was quiet for a moment, wondering if she had gone too far, and should apologize. Then she caught a faint whiff of perfume in the air. And it wasn't perfume that belonged to her either._

"_Well I can't believe you!"_

_With that, Ichigo grabbed her jacket and ran out the door, tears running down her face._

_

* * *

_

_A while later, Ichigo found herself jogging along the winding path in a secluded park._

_Finally, she slumped down onto a bench, sobbing loudly._

_A single maple leaf dropped down besides her._

_Just then, Ichigo felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around her._

_Lifting her head up, Ichigo sniffled. "K-Kish?"_

_The green-haired alien smiled slightly, hugging Ichigo even tighter._

_Without a second though, Ichigo buried her head against Kish's chest, crying her heart out._

_

* * *

_

_What seemed like an eternity later, Ichigo finally stopped crying and looked up at Kish._

"_I'm sorry... I got your shirt all wet." _

_Kish shook his head. "It's not a problem."_

_There was a moment of silence._

"_Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"_

_Ichigo sniffed, averting her gaze to the ground. "Masaya and I got into a bit of an argument."_

_Kish arched one eyebrow. "It seems like it was a pretty big argument."_

_Ichigo bit her lip, still staring down at her feet._

_Kish looked worried. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."_

_Ichigo shook her head but said nothing more._

"_Do… do you want to tell me about it?" Kish asked quietly._

_Ichigo hesitated, before stating, "I-I think Masaya's cheating on me."_

_Kish's eyes widened. "Really? Why would you think that?" _

"_Well… he's been coming home really late, and… perfume. I smelt perfume."_

_Ichigo didn't give Kish a chance to speak. She choked out a laugh, saying, "Wow. That sounded really stupid, didn't it? I probably am just being too paranoid. Like Masaya said."_

_Kish was quiet._

_Ichigo took this as a sign that he agreed with her. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood up. "Thanks for… comforting me. I guess I should be going now."_

_Kish opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to change his mind and just nodded._

/ End Flashback /

After that, Ichigo had gone back home. Masaya had apologized and they had made up. Ichigo let out a bitter laugh. She was the one who made the mistake of going back to him. It was painfully obvious now that Masaya and Mint had been together for a long time.

Realizing she had been crying, Ichigo wiped her eyes with the handkerchief that was in her pocket. Standing up, she brushed the wrinkles out of her clothing and then proceeded to continue walking towards the run-down apartment building she was currently residing in.

* * *

The door creaked as Ichigo pushed it open. 

"Natsuki-san?" Ichigo called out, stepping into the dim room.

Bells jingled when a door at the opposite side of the room was opened.

"Oh, Ikumi!" Natsuki Sato, the young landlady of Harusaki Inn, piped. "What are you doing back so early?"

Ichigo smiled happily as she replied, "Tanaka-san let me get off work early because the place was pretty much empty."

"That's great!" Natsuki beamed. "And what good timing too!" Natsuki laughed at Ichigo's puzzled expression before continuing. "We have a new tenant!" Natsuki exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands together.

Ichigo stared at Natsuki for a moment before quickly plastering a smile on her face. She was happy for Natsuki but… why did she have such a bad feeling about this? "Wow, that's wonderful, Natsuki-san."

Natsuki nodded quickly. "I know, I know! Come on, I'll introduce you to him!"

The word 'him' felt like a punch in the stomach to Ichigo. Ichigo scolded herself silently. What was wrong with her? Men had stayed at the inn before… why should this one be any different from the others?

Natsuki was looking at Ichigo, brows furrowed. "Ikumi-chan, are you okay?"

Ichigo's head snapped up quickly. "Yes! Yes, I'm fine." Ichigo smiled slightly to reassure Natsuki.

Natsuki didn't look convinced but said nothing more of it. "Follow me, Ikumi. He's right in here."

Natsuki turned the doorknob and opened the door. Turning back to face Ichigo, Natsuki said politely, "Come on, you first!"

Ichigo grinned. Natsuki was courteous as ever. Ichigo stepped forward into the next room, murmuring, "Thanks." to Natsuki along the way.

What Ichigo saw next froze her in her tracks.

* * *

**Ehk, this chapter was just a teensy bit rushed >>; Sorry? x3  
Also, sorry if it seems a little bit... confusing XD;**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie **


	3. Meeting

**Rem: **Sorry, can't write much-- our self-proclaimed deadline for this chappy is -today- and... I had to rush it done That's why the ending sucks majorly... sorry... (cry) And why am I finishing this on the very last day? 'Cos I'm lazy, that's why D: But, yes, it's true, we're also very busy. Here I am, sneaking on the computer to post this up while I should be doing my homework XD Mannnn. Can you believe it's been a whole _year_ since our last update for Love Again? I AM SO SORRY! (cry) But rest-assured! From now on, Love Again should (and yes, I say should) be updated in a more consistent manner (yay!) Still, please don't expect more than one chapter per month... sorry Anyway, this chappy isn't our best work but heyyy-- I like it! n.n So, please enjoy! We aim to please! Thanks for all the comments, by the way:D They are what drive us to do our best! Seriously, I love you guys! XD Please keep reading :3 I hope you like this chapter!

**Suzie: **So, heeey, um, Suzie here... okay, okay, you caught me. This is Rem. Hi. Suze is unavailable right now, y'know, 'cos I had to rush this up .. But she loves you all too! And she sends her regards! Hehe...

**Disclamer: **Tokyo Mew Mew and all its characters do not belong to us, unfortunately :3

* * *

--CHAPTER THREE--  
_Meeting_

Ichigo was utterly baffled. _Kish??_ She almost blurted it out before remembering she had to keep her real identity a secret.

_But… how? Why? I mean… Kish can't be here! How could he possibly be _here? Ichigo's mind swarmed with possibilities, not exactly putting her at ease as she approached the new tenant… Kish. Forcing a warm expression, Ichigo greeted, "Hello. I'm Ikumi Miyasawa. Nice to meet you!" Ichigo extended a hand.

Kish took her outheld hand and shook it firmly. "I'm Kish… Sakaguchi. Nice to meet you too."

Ichigo nodded almost mechanically, a hollow smile on her face.

_Oh my God… what's going to happen now?_

---

Kish found himself puzzling over this turn of events after the landlady and his new "neighbor" left the room.

Ichigo? It couldn't be Ichigo, could it? Why would Ichigo be here? Unless… unless something happened during her wedding? No, no, mustn't think thoughts like those… but… well, maybe it isn't Ichigo. After all, that girl had said her name was Ikumi. But… wow, the similarities were too scary. Sure, her hair color and eye color were different, and she had certainly grew taller and… filled out over the years, but her face was like an exact replica of Ichigo's. Besides, come on! Who hasn't heard of contacts, hair dye, and exercise? But, alas! There's no way Ichigo could be here – but then again, why not? Maybe… maybe… maybe she had found out… after her wedding? That one afternoon she had came so close…

In fact, Kish could still remember that day clearly in his mind… after all, it was his very last meeting with Ichigo.

// Flashback //

_Kish frowned, his gaze flickering to the faded photograph lying on the ground. His insides knotted up when he realized who it was. Ichigo… He wouldn't try to break her and Masaya up – he wasn't that kind of a person – but… still. His heart ached for that smiling face that would never be his._

"_Kish!"_

_Kish whirled around to come face to face with his brother Pai. Pai's eyes were immediately drawn to the dusty photo on the floor. Kish groaned inwardly. He knew what was going through Pai's mind. "Don't say a word." Kish remarked, glowering at Pai. _

_Pai laughed. "Don't worry, kiddo. I don't mind if you're still obsessed with a girl who has no interest in you whatsoever." Before Kish could retaliate, Pai continued, "Just thought you might want to know. You're little girlfriend is an absolute mess right now. You'll probably want to go to her. You know what they say… strike while they're vulnerable."_

_Kish's eyes widened as Pai's words registered in his mind. Without a second thought, he grabbed the photograph of Ichigo and ran out the open door. He could hear Pai call after him, "Gee, so much for being appreciative!"_

_---_

_Kish zoomed through the skies of Tokyo, scanning the area for any signs of Ichigo. What the hell had Pai meant? A thousand things were running through his mind when, at that moment, he saw a distant smudge of pink. What in the world was Ichigo doing in the park this late at night?_

_As Kish flew nearer, he could hear soft sobbing noises. That bastard… Masaya must have done this to her!_

_Kish landed quietly next to Ichigo on the bench. The sight of Ichigo crying her heart out next to him made Kish's chest clench in pain. Cursing Masaya some more, he gently wrapped his arms around Ichigo's trembling form._

_He felt Ichigo shift slightly. "K-Kish?" She stuttered, staring up at him like a lost puppy. He smiled reassuringly back at her._

_With somewhat of a strangled cry, she threw her arms around him and sobbed even louder. _

_---_

"_Ichigo?" Kish nudged her still body._

_She lifted her head slowly, gazing at him with blank eyes. Kish felt a cold chill go through him._

_She averted her eyes and mumbled, "Sorry I got your shirt wet."_

"_It's alright."_

_Kish paused before continuing, "Want to tell me what happened?" Though I'm pretty sure I already know, he thought to himself._

_Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut, a small cry escaping her lips. "I-I think Masaya is cheating on me."_

_Kish wasn't at all surprised but feigned shock anyway. Ichigo didn't really seem to notice. "Oh? Why do you say that?"_

"_Well… he… he comes home late… and… and… there was perfume…"_

_Ichigo laughed harshly, saying, "Wow, that sounded really stupid, didn't it? I'm probably being paranoid… yes… just paranoid. Like Masaya said."_

_No, no! You're not! Kish wanted to grab Ichigo's shoulders and shake her out of her foolish state of denial. You're not being paranoid, he wanted to shout at her. He's cheating on you! But he couldn't. He couldn't do that. It was none of his business… none of his business. Ichigo would realize what was going on… he hoped._

_Still wondering if his decision to keep quiet was right or not, Kish barely noticed Ichigo rise to her feet. "I better get going," she said reluctantly. "Thanks for… comforting me."_

_His conscience was screaming at him to say something, but… he couldn't… he just _couldn't_! He wanted to say something to make her feel better but nothing came to mind. Finally, he was forced to send her off with a silent nod of the head._

_Ichigo smiled sadly, meeting his eyes one last time before running off into the other direction. _

"_I love you," Kish murmured. Ichigo was too far away to have heard him and so he stayed, watching Ichigo until she was but a small dot on the horizon._

_Kish sighed and slumped back down onto the bench, feeling an overwhelming urge to cry himself._

// End Flashback //

Kish shuddered, violently lurched back to reality. Realizing he had been tightly clutching a floral patterned pillow, Kish immediately loosened his grip. It fell to the carpet noiselessly. He rubbed his sweaty hands together, a desperate sense of dread clouding his mind.

Flopping onto the small bed in the corner, Kish sighed. That was the last time he saw Ichigo and it would haunt him forever. Despite the fact that Masaya was obviously cheating on Ichigo, she had, it seemed, overcome whatever nagging suspicions she held in her mind. A month later, he received an invitation… an invitation to the wedding of Masaya Aoyama and Ichigo Momomiya.

Damn it! He should have stopped it… should have stopped the marriage, should have _said_ something. He _knew_ Masaya had been cheating on Ichigo with Mint but said _nothing_! Now… it was just too late. Masaya and Ichigo were probably happily married and Ichigo would never know… what an utter fool he was!

A soft voice interrupted Kish's thoughts. "Hello? May I come in?"

Kish stood up abruptly, eyes wide. _Ichigo?_

No… that's impossible. "Yes, of course."

The wooden door was slowly pushed open and in stepped…Ikumi?

"Miyasawa-san! Hello."

---

Did he look taken back or was it just her imagination?

"Hi!" Ichigo smiled warmly despite her heart beating like a drum against her ribcage. "Are you finding everything comfortable?"

Kish nodded slowly an expression on his face that Ichigo could have sworn resembled suspicion. "Yes, this room is great… and for such a cheap price, too."

"I know exactly what you mean!" Ichigo nodded enthusiastically, relieved to have found somewhat a common subject.

Kish was silent. _I'm only trying to make him feel welcome…_ Ichigo thought uncomfortably.

No! She would not chicken out of this! _Just be calm, act normal… you don't know him, you don't know him…_

"So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me? You know, since you're new and clueless and all," Ichigo said with a laugh.

Kish smiled a little at that. "I'd love to. I'm sure you'll only take me to the best of the best, yes?"

"Of course! You're in for a real treat tonight," Ichigo winked, beginning to feel more at ease.

Kish grinned. It was the first sincere expression on his face so far, and it brought on a whole new wave of nostalgia. _God, the good old days…_

---

Chisato turned around just as Ichigo and Kish entered the bustling restaurant. "Ikumi! What are you doing here?" Her eyes landed on Kish and lit up with understanding. "Oh!"

Ichigo's eyes widened, her face turning pink. "No, no, it's not like that. This is… Sakaguchi Kish-san. He's the new tenant at Natsuki's place!" Turning to face Kish, she added, "Sakaguchi-san, this is Chisato Tanaka-san, the owner of this restaurant!"

"Ah! Sorry for my misunderstanding then," Chisato eyes twinkled, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Nice to meet you, Ikumi's friend."

Kish laughed. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Tanaka-san."

"Quite the gentleman, are you?" Chisato chuckled good-naturedly. "Do come—"

Suddenly, Chisato was cut off by a blatant grumbling noise. Ichigo gasped, a flush of embarrassment on her face. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry."

Chisato laughed heartily. "Follow me, then! Someone seems to be hungry," She winked at Kish, who grinned in return.

---

Kish snuck occasional glances at Ikumi, still feeling awed by her striking resemblance to Ichigo.

"Like what you're seeing?" Realizing he'd been caught staring, Kish turned a deep shade of red. Ikumi giggled at his expense, seeming amused at seeing him in such an awkward position – hmph!

"At least you're enjoying yourself," Kish pouted, only the gleam in his eyes revealing the laughter he was struggling to keep inside.

"I was under the impression that you're having a good time too." Ikumi grinned. "But, really… Sakaguchi-san, do tell me about yourself! Where are you from? Why are you in Osaka now? Is it occupational-related?" She frowned slightly, wrinkling her nose. "Sorry! I'm being nosy."

"No, no it's fine. I… I'm here in Osaka to… to get away from everything for a while." Kish answered hesitantly. "I don't think I'll share any more details… a man's got to have some secrets, you know," he added with a mischievous smile.

Ikumi rolled her eyes but seemed to buy the excuse.

---

_Who is he kidding?_ Ichigo smiled to herself. Still, you couldn't really blame him – he wasn't the only one keeping secrets around here.

"So, you and Tanaka-san seem to know each other well… do you come here often?"

Ichigo laughed. "Actually, I work here—I'm a waitress."

"_Ah_."

"Well, I suppose it _is_ self-promotion but… the food's really good too!"

Kish nodded but seemed eager to change the subject. "Err, you seem like a smart person—why are you working here at a restaurant?"

_Oh dear. I don't like where this is going, _Ichigo thought to herself. "Ah, pardon me. I'm going to go to the restroom. Erm, I'll be right back." Ichigo stood up quickly, accidentally knocking over a chair… which caused her to trip and fall. _Ohhhh no! _Ichigo's mind screamed, her arms flailing in the air.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ichigo spotted Kish. He had stood up too and there was a frantic expression on his face. His arm shot out with superhuman speed in an attempt to catch her… but he was too late. She could feel his fingers tightly clutching her arm but now they were both falling towards the wooden floor.

THUMP! Ichigo winced, eyes squeezed shut. Her shoulder hurt and Kish _was_ pretty heavy. "Ki--Sakaguchi-san, you can get off me now," Ichigo murmured, laughing weakly. She opened her eyes… and saw Kish's face mere centimeters from hers, his golden eyes gazing at her in an almost affectionate way. It couldn't be just her imagination, could it?

_Ohhh no. Oh no. Ohno ohno ohno. _Ichigo could feel it. _Damn. Horrible timing. _Ichigo knew that in just a few seconds her strange cat ears would be showing for _everyone_ to see.

* * *

**Ooh, suspense, suspense :P My weak attempt at a cliffhanger n.n;;  
**

**Cheers,  
Rem & Suzie  
**


End file.
